Leakdown plungers are known in the art and are used in camshaft internal combustion engines. Leakdown plungers open and close valves that regulate fuel and air intake. As noted in U.S. Pat. No. 6,273,039 to Church, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated herein by reference, leakdown plungers are typically fabricated through machining. Col. 8, 11. 1–3. However, machining is inefficient, resulting in increased labor and decreased production.
The present invention is directed to overcoming this and other disadvantages inherent in prior-art lifter bodies.